Fund it like a Rockstar
Startups are always interested in investment, what’s Rockstars offering in this space, in a summary?
We opened our first Rockstar Hub in the heart of the City in February. It is a dynamic co-working space that also houses the Rockstar Mentors, so our startups get access to their support, guidance and contacts. In line with that, we have just opened our own investment fund inside the Hub. Currently 40% of the businesses in here have received private investment from us and have dedicated mentors from their sectors who are committed to make that company a big success. We are now looking for more companies to back.
What stage startups are you inviting to apply?
Anyone can run their business from the hub either full time or part time, but from an investment perspective, we want businesses that have developed some proof of concept where they can show they are creating a product or service that is in demand. The other key thing are the people who run it. We invest between £100k – £400k so it is early stage funding, which to us means the people who are in the business are equally important as the product itself!
Any particular industry sectors?
One of the unique things about Rockstar is that we are open to ALL sectors. We have some great tech companies in here, we also have businesses in fashion, law, animation, insurance and property.
What does Rockstar offer that other programmes don’t?
We are a co working office with in house mentors and an invest- ment fund. We invest money in companies, take equity and house them under the same roof as us so we can dedicate the regular time needed to make them a success. We are not an incubator or accelerator. There isn’t a 100 day program with the chance of VC investment at the end. Whilst I think those types of programs can work very well, we are taking a long term view on the busi- nesses we invest in and as shareholders want them to stay with us for as long as they need to.
A major pain point for startups is the actual process of apply- ing for investment. It can be a major drain of resources, time, effort, and focus. What’s your process?
We want to meet the teams, they’re the people we’re investing in. And then we want to understand their business model. So the first stage is a 30 minute face to face meeting, here at the Hub. If we like the opportunity, we move things forward. Send a request for a “30 min pitch session.” Email for a time slot, and for details on what to prepare: Sonal@rockstarhubs.com
